Why haven't we done anything?

cheap illegal immigrant labor benefits big business . Enforce the laws and demand that Mexico, El Salvador and China et al be held accountable. People have been encouraged by our own government to cross borders to work in food processsing plants, building trades and as domestics and casino workers. Much of their pay goes home to support their families bolstering those countries economies. BUT why don't we sanction these countries - our trade partners They CAN provide HUMANE LIVING CONDITIONS IF THEY WANT to

The answer to your question is simple: CHEAP LABOR.

It's good that you only have to pull a lever to cast a vote. If you had to spell what you were for, you'd be in trouble.

I'll be around when you're moaning about the Cambodians who are imported to steal the jobs from illegal Mexicans who need a higher wage than they do.

You are PART of the problem - not the solution. You are short-sighted and don't understand economic tyranny by the wealthy. You probably have your job because you have less education and talent and are willing to work cheaper than the person you replaced.

In another 10 years, corporate moguls will have 12-year-old kids from Darfur or China who can do your job and live with their parents cheaper in a compound. That little development will turn the world of illegal Latino immigration upside down.

Hundreds of thousands or even millions of your friends and the illegal border crossers you support will be out of a job just like the middle class Americans you want illegal immigrants to replace now. You will have succeeded in doing NOTHING but mirroring the Mexican economy - what a great model that is!

That is as idiotic as anything I've ever seen. Not being able to see the forest for the trees is a dangerous flaw and you not only have it but are also nastily arrogant about wanting to shove failure down everyone else's throat.

Your "Viva La RaZa" rhetoric just proves you aren't really an American but that you are actually a racist lobbying for a single race of people rather than for all Americans.

You think Bush is gonna help YOU with the Amero? Globalization is "Corporate Speak" for hiring labor as cheaply as it can be hired and you, my friend, make far more than a Sri Lankan. That means George Bush and other Corporate Fascists would have your head on the chopping block as soon as he could import a Sri Lankan to take your place.

Wake up and support LEGAL immigration not invasion.

I'm no idiot okay... Don't start to fucking run your mouth on that tip... America is losing to the World!!!
Global Economy!!!! Europe is taking the Dollar out by the second... They have open border policy & their flourishing a great & fast pace... And it don't matter the Bush adminstration is already putting some kind of Union together as we speak... Look up the North American Union... Same concept that Europe did in the early 2000's. The Amerio will replace the Dollar, thus catapolting us into the New age!!! So you can try & try to talk your non sense but your only wasting your breathe... Get wit the program!!!! I am for Immigrants & will never change my mind!!!! Our battle will be @ the Polls... So see you there!!!

It is hard to fight idiocy.

I will not stand for anarchy and open borders nor will
I let someone else who is also misinformed tell me the middle class is faring too well in America.

FACT: **** in 1970 the richest 1% of the U.S. population owned 30% of the wealth. In 2005, the richest 1% of the U.S. population owned 40% of this country's wealth! ****

THAT is a step in the WRONG direction and a clear assault on the middle class which is losing jobs at an alarming rate.

How has the magnanimous Mexican economy been toward its middle class? There is BARELY even a middle class in Mexico.

Unchecked illegal immigration will eventually result in a rich and a poor class in America and that is when America will fall.

Before we let you open the borders, before we put yet another Reagan Amnesty program in place and before we give corporations an even cheaper, more exploitable "slave" class of laborers, I'll opt to enforce our existing immigration laws.

And I'll be against 8 or 10 guys bunking together in a two bedroom rent house owned by a patron that drives them to work every day, cheats on his taxes and pays them in cash to undercut the wages that LEGAL American citizens would earn if they could AFFORD to take those same jobs.

With a rich and poor class you can ALWAYS find someone willing to work cheaper. To throw illegal Mexican immigrants to the wolves, all you'd have to do is import people who thought living in a one bedroom house with 15 other people was a "Step UP" from their prior circumstances.

Your "Open Borders" concept will only work until giant corporations realize they can eventually import hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans, set them up in giant labor camps and pay them HALF of what they're paying current illegals from Latin America.

Get over your indignation and realize that your people took their land from other people or animals as their tribes flourished. That is the way it has been all throughout history.

Just obey the laws we have today. Open borders is a disastrous policy to have for any country. The population will always attempt to migrate toward where they can flourish more EASILY than they can where they are.

The truly successful people are those who learn to flourish and to help others in the country where they live legally.

Instead of whining, go change the system where it is broken (in the case you are complaining about, that would be in Central America and Mexico.).

Here, the law says you must have permission to immigrate and you are supposed to be deported if you come in illegally.

As far as the right to assemble and demonstrate, Cesar Chavez didn't have to break the law to do that particular activity.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT NO ONE IS DENYING YOU THE RIGHT TO IMMIGRATE LEGALLY, PERIOD!!!!!!!!

I think we should pour money and opportunity into our neighbors the "Mexicans". This is how you stop fighting over maps, boundaries, and immigration (i say let there Mexican lic be valid). Its time to bring this continent together. The Euro is climbing because of unity that continent has. I also believe white middle class americans are a lil fat on their current life style and could use some competition (most Mexicans have an excellent work ethic). An Amero ain't a bad idea. I am from Houston. I have been to a border town and its sad we don't care about their poverty.

you didn't answer my question... Did they die an illegal or an American Citizen... I really don't care about your bias opinion, I stated facts to you... This land was stolen so thus America is in default & if people want to migrate to this country to flourish then so be it... By any means neccesarry, some people don't have the luxury to get an attorney to get there ticket to the U.S.
Cubans migrate to the U.S. & get amensity as soon as they touch the land... Thats a law... But still breaking the law, does that make sense??? Americans are not really known to be accepting of change... Thus why we March & shout out Loud!!! Si Se Puede!!!!! ( Yes we Can!!!!) Instead of having this stupid borders we should embrace all the people of the World... The World of today is a Global economy, we need to focus on creating a bridge accross the world & stop trying to isolate ourselves... The Russians isolated themselves & what did they gain??? you must understand immigration reform is vital to American Society, we must embrace these people that help America keep on progressing into the future... Open your mind & stop letting Racist conservatives like Lue Dobbs tell you about immigrants. We must evolve as Americans & stand with the future Citizens of this Great Land. Its our duty as Americans to create the future of America now!!!! So get over it theres 12,000,000 illegals and they ain't going no where, so get use to us growing in number & power!!!! Step your game up & stop bitching about the Law thats in effect now!!! If Rosa Parks didn't break the law to help jump start the Civil Rights movement where would we be??? If Ceasar Chavez didn't rally us the Mexican farm workers to Strike against Corporate American Farms where would be. it was against the law to Protest & Pickett in those days against big companies. Open your mind& think outside the Box. If you continue thinking the way you do, you will be left in the past!!! Quote me on this!!!

VIVA LA RASA
AND GOD BLESS AMERICA; WAIT SCRATCH THAT...
GOD BLESS EVERYONE on GODS GREEN EARTH!!!!!

You're still advocating breaking the current law to get into the U.S. It is against the law to immigrate illegally, both here and in Mexico AND the small population of tribal Indians of which you speak did not own the entire country of what is now Mexico anymore than the Apaches owned Algonquin country on the U.S. Upper East Coast.

The Louisiana purchase occurred in 1803 while Spaniards controlled Northern Mexico.

Obey the laws and quit whining about something neither you nor I had any control over.

Today's laws are fair. Just don't sneak into America and then get mad when you are not welcomed like people who go through the proper channels.

As far as your point about enlisting for citizenship, those people did so and knew the risks involved.

Listen Inofuilwell, I see you trying to telling your White History word for word, just like a good lil Sheeple. The word Mexican comes from our Indigenous name; such as "Mexica" but my people are called Yaki Native (descendents of Mexica) of Arizona but later expelled to Sonora, Mexico. You seem to forget that after the Mexican American war the Mexican Settlers that been there for centuries were thrown out of there land... You forget about President James K. Polk Repatriation Act... Also I'll take it back to 1830 when Andrew Jacksons vigorous pursute of the Native Americans... Did you forget about the "Walk of Tear" how many Natives were lost then??? Millions of people died. Now lets go back to the Mexican American war... Do you remember a lil thing called the "Manifest Destiny" where President Polk proclaimed that "God" gave the white people the rights to the land "from sea to shiny sea"... Now what was Polks first strategy, to pressure Mexico into selling California, and the rest of the Southwest territory. So he sent Gen. Zachary Taylor to the disputed area. Once Texas was Annex by United States. The disputed land was South of the Nueses River & the Rio Grande. Mexico said the border was Nueses, America said it was the Rio Grande so Polk sent Gen. Zachary Taylor over the Nueses River. Mexican troops stationed @ the disputed land thought American Troops were invading Mexico so they fought what turned out to be the Start of the Mexican American War. James K. Polk spun the truth & told America that Mexico was invading America. Now lets go forward in time to The Repatriation Act; my people were expelled from our Native Land of Arizona!!! to south of the Border to Sonora; because we were deemed Non American... Which is stupid to begin with because everyone born in the Western Hemisphere is an American.... North, Central, South America. Now when I say we didn't cross the border crossed us, its because it did... Once America won the war we got kicked out of a Land we lived for centuries..... Now i suggest to throw away your Elementary history books you read and qouted your arguement & read some more about the real History of this Country... Now I love the U.S.; its the land of the free... And this Countries back bone has and forever will be the Immigrants... Doesn't the Statue of Liberty have a qoute thats says " Give me your hungry, give me your weak" well the immigrants of today are as hungry & weak as the immigrants of the past. We as people always migrate, thats how we populated this entire planet... Its nature to migrate, we are creating the same mistakes that led the Slipper Slope to Dictatorship, my strongest point is Nazi Germany, how they started to blame the Jews & immigrants for the down fall of Germany & well we all know the story... Even President Bushs brother, Jud Bush Senator of Florida is married to an immigrant. Mexicans are not here to blow shit up & destroy America. They are helping to build the future of America, the roads, the buildings. They are here to feed America; by picking Crops, working long hours in Fast Food places... Mexico was there for America during the World War. My Grand Father fought as a Fighter Pilot for the Mexican Airforce along side with American Pilots. And on the other side my GrandFather living in the U.S. was Marine!!!! Which takes me to my final point... Look at the Armed forces, most are Black or Latino, thus telling me we are here to Protect & die for America!!! Immigrants joining the Armed forces to become American citizens, some achieve there Dream & become a Citizens & for the unfortunate ones now rest in there Coffin. Now tell me this; if an illegal in the process of Citizenship died in combat, did he die an illegal or an American???????

REEL SHYT!!!!

The borders have been set now for 163 years!

I'll try to be as nice and non-accusatory as I can considering the errors and accusations in your post, REEL_KNOX.

As far as Mexicans being an indigenous race, they are NOT.

My only gripe is that they nor any other group of immigrants should NOT ever be allowed to break immigration laws to come here. They are welcome to get in line and use legal channels to immigrate but not to cross the 163-year-old Internationally recognized border illegally.

As far as this statement in your post ******* "FIRST OF ALL, WE DIDN'T CROSS THE BORDER THE BORDER CROSSED US!!!! SECOND AMERICA WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS & 3rd THE WHITE RACE STOLE THIS LAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES STOLE IT FROM THE INDIANS & MEXICANS... WHITE PEOPLE KILLED MILLIONS of INDIGENOUS & YOU SAY IMMIGRANTS COME IN TO HURT US!!!!" ********

slow down and get a grip and understand that Mexicans are NOT the indigenous people of the country now known as Mexico! Those indigenous people were Indians (predominantly Aztec Indians).

SPANIARDS did the same KILLING and conquering your are accusing U.S. people of doing to establish dominance and take over Aztec territory. It was done just shortly before Europeans and British settlers did the same in the Northern parts of America.

The mixed Spanish and Indian settlers fought the War for Mexican independence from Spain and then the settlers in Texas fought a war of independence from Mexico in 1836 and won that war just like the Mexicans did when they fought Spain.

The real losers in all of this territory grabbing were the Native Aztecs and North American Indian tribes from various parts of North American.

Just because Spain conquered and settled Mexico and other parts of Western North America, it doesn't give them any more right to that land than the land the French conquered and settled or that land that suffered the same fate at the hands of the Europeans.

Now, if you want to go back and try to find pure blooded Aztecs and other Indian tribes to give them back their land, remember that those civilizations also had territorial disputes and waged war on one another before England, France and Spain ever got here.

At least get your facts straight when you go back and try to accuse somebody of conquering a nation that didn't exist but a few years before the Republic of Texas and some 30 or so years after the first U.S.Continental Congress.

The War for Mexican independence from Spain was a series of revolts that began in 1810 and ended with the signing of the Treaty of Cordoba on August 24, 1821 far AFTER the U.S. Purchased the Louisiana Territory from France in 1803 for a price of about $.03 per acre.

The War that took the established the Republic of Texas (which became an independent Republic after rebelling against Mexican authority and the jailing of Stephen F. Austin) was fought in 1836 and followed Generalismo Santa Ana's massacre of insurgents at the Alamo and his subsequent defeat and capture at the final battle of the war in San Jacinto near what is now Houston, Texas.

The Republic of Texas remained an independent nation from 1836 until it joined the United States in 1845.

The War between Mexico and the U.S. was fought in that year with the U.S. defeating Mexico and keeping Texas.

As far as laws are concerned, Mexican prisons and laws are notoriously strict and U.S. citizens are jailed for illegal immigration in Mexico when they are caught.

It seems, however, that what is good for the goose is not thought to be good for the gander when talking with people who favor allowing illegal immigration into the U.S.

INTENT TO HURT US???? DID I MISS SOMETHING??? I NEVER SEEN A NEWS CLIP ABOUT A MEXICAN STRAPPED WITH A BOMB BLOWING UP YOUR LOCAL STAR BUCKS... FIRST OF ALL, WE DIDN'T CROSS THE BORDER THE BORDER CROSSED US!!!! SECOND AMERICA WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS & 3rd THE WHITE RACE STOLE THIS LAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES STOLE IT FROM THE INDIANS & MEXICANS... WHITE PEOPLE KILLED MILLIONS of INDIGENOUS & YOU SAY IMMIGRANTS COME IN TO HURT US!!!! YOUR A JOKE!!!!

Basically here, I see two dominant opinions:
1- we push out all illegal immigrants because they burden the system, which is true because some abuse the system and they're cutting the line in front of people who've waited for years to get into this country LEGALLY. Some have children here to make themselves citizens since our government believes that if the child is born here the parents should stay with the child to ensure a "cohesive family".
2- we should be compassionate to the illegals who esaped harsh past lives and are honestly here for the American dream and just want what's best for their family. We were all immigrants once and its not like this hasn't happened before, look at the flood of immigrants during the early twentieth century.

But there is a difference. The world has changed and so must our policies. We can't block out all immigrants, we DO need people to fulfill minimum wage jobs that most born Americans scoff at. Even if it is exploitation-it's still a problem. But there are also too many who abuse the system and take all they can from it. And that's the main issue I think.
How do we tell the difference between honest people and those who are manipulative and greedy? It's impossible for the government to tell and decide whether each individual should or should not be allowed into the country; it'd be a logistical nightmare. And so far no one has come up with an answer that satisfies most people. This is an issue that needs to be faced before it gets out of hand, something that our country needs to unite and decide on for instead of passing laws that aren't permanent or strong enough.

We're not blaming immigrants for problems except for the problems that their being here illegally cause.

To argue that the reason they are here should be taken into account is a noble one but it would be no different than only giving someone a ticket when they ran a red light if they didn't have a good reason.

The bottom line is they broke the law.

As far as influence is concerned, I am not a fan of some of the interference the U.S. has been responsible for around the world but no matter where immigrant come from, they should obey the immigration laws and be deported if they do not.

I am all for letting them immigrate legally but this coming in illegally and having some President wipe the slate clean even few years with what amounts to an "Amnesty Program" is just plain wrong.

There are plenty of American workers who would love to do landscaping, roofing and other construction work IF there weren't a willing exploitable "slave class" to JUMP at poverty-level wages just because those wages are higher than in their home country.

A family of four with two parents willing to work cannot even hope to compete for a job in those areas today because there is a readily available supply of people who are willing to bunk with 8 or 9 others in a two bedroom house with no car, paying no liability or homeowners insurance, declaring married with 8 dependents to minimize their withholding tax, fica and futa when they may not even be married at all.

Sometimes these workers are driven to job sites by a "Patron" who may pay them in cash and falsify his own income records.

Just because these people are paid doesn't make them legitimate workers. There is very little difference in the way that business model works and simply paying for one-time slaves' room and board.

I know not every single one of these immigrants resorts to that type of job but I personally see literally thousands doing this every single day.

The sad fact is that they are also exploited. The Democrats want them to stay because their birthright children are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates and the Republicans want them to stay because they are cheaper than the going rate for U.S. workers who have have typical family structures and obligations.

We have allowed illegal immigrants to become part of a vast underground labor force that depresses American middle class workers' pay scales.

Soon, just like third world countries, what used to be a strong middle class of working families that looked forward to living the "American Dream" will disappear . And when it disappears, so will America as we know it. We will be like Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Colombia, Mexico and other countries that have two chief classes of people - a Rich Class and a Poor Class.

Corporatism and Fascism have decided that the bottom line is the only thing worth protecting.

What makes up the fabric of America will perish if corporate fascism is left to go unchecked and deregulated.

Why blame everything on immigrants without even asking why they come here or how to solve the problems in their countries? After all, we created one Latin American nation (Panama) and have changed several of their governments. Don't tell me we have no influence.

Document the immigrants. The government has documents on us.

Help Mexico become as wealthy and productive as Canada. Help Cuba become as wealthy, productive ally in the war on terror. Bring our neighbors up and they wont flow into our country unwanted. They will flow into our country trained and wanted.

I do agree with you on certain aspects. Yes, we do need to up our system, as you say, but I also think that making it easier to become a citizen in the first place so no one has to deal with the government making sure everyone has what they should is necessary. Then only the people who don't deserve to be here will be caught. We keep making too many assumptions that all immigrants are here for a such and such reason, you know? We need to put ourselves in that position, where if we know what we want to do and are denied access....where would you stand then?

hear hear!! aye, the solution must start at the actual border if we start routing out the illegals we have to prevent any more from entering in the process. if a mexican or whoever wants to enter, he/she must become a legal citizen. eliminating the born citizens, children of illegals may seem harsh, but to we can't force the illegals to leave without thier children, that would be even more cruel and creat a whole new set of problems. i mostly tolerated the already-established-illegals until they, the ILLEGALS, the ones who are breaking the law just by being in the country, protest demanding civil rights! civil rights are for honestly LEGAL citizens! don't even get me started on the non-whites who throw the "racist" word around. there nearly are more non-white racists than white it seems!

I'm all for allowing immigrants into the country to pursue their own American Dreams but by allowing illegal immigrants to stay we send a message globally saying instead of entering legally and waiting for processing and the proper means of entry, you should just jump our fences because its all the same to us.

LEGAL immigration is just that - LEGAL. Illegal entry into the United States is against the law and should be prohibited. --------------------------------------------------------------------- The retroactive repeal of birthright citizenship for the sons and daughters of those who got here illegally is NECESSARY to re-route immigration into a system that follows the laws. ----------------------------------------------------------------- There should be NO rewards for those who break immigration laws! ------------------------------------------------------------
The "importation" of low cost, exploitable labor to take middle class jobs is no different than SLAVERY - paying the illegals lower wages than U.S. citizens can afford to work for is feeding fascist corporatism that cares only that the bottom line is pumped up by hiring workers who sneak over our borders to work for wages that are higher than those in their home counties but nowhere near what American workers deserve. ----------------------------------------------- MOST of the illegals I've seen who even file tax returns claim married and a gazillion dependents to lower the withholding taxes they should pay. -------------------------------------- Their actual family structure is usually a girlfriend and one to three kids AND the kids and girlfriends claim they have been deserted by their 'husbands' so they have little or no income and will qualify to use County health services for the indigent. -------------------------------------------- It is a racket and they are all willing to play the game to cheat the system. ---------------------------------------------------- I have ONE question. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Why didn't you immigrate to the U.S. LEGALLY? We wouldn't be having this issue if you had not initially broken the law.

The two political parties are WORTHLESS on this issue. --------------------------------------------------------- The Dems want the birthright citizens because they are more likely to vote for a Democrat. The Republican fascists want them for the third world wages they can pay them while they lay off American workers. Corporatists are also paying slave wages to employees because, among other things, they think those workers are less sophisticated and thus will fear looking out for their own health and welfare in the workplace - a plus for OSHA violators and other exploiters. ------------------------------------------------------------- That CR@P about no Americans wanting to do the jobs illegals will take NOT because the Americans don't want them but rather is because the minimum wage has continued to be depressed by a ready availability cheap, exploitable workers. AND the Republicans also pushed and passed "Tort Reform" to make SURE these Mexicans find it hard to sue over injuries and working conditions.

Politics is a racket and the immigration issue is fixable only with a fence, stiff penalties for crossing without permission and the IMMEDIATE RETROACTIVE REPEAL of the birthright citizenship for children of those here illegally - PERIOD! I don't care HOW long the "birthrighters" have been here or how long they've been recognized. They are what I call "pseudo-citizens" who unjustly benefited from the illegal acts of their parents. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So to all you illegal immigrants who think that hard work trumps the law, I say the constitution provides a path for LEGAL immigration. You AND any birthright citizen children you have given birth to here are not entitled to be here PERIOD!

You are so right! There are a hundred aspects to the topic of entry into the US. The numbers of people actually entering are staggering.

It's not about race. It's not about class or xenophobia. The whoe discussion need to come into the moderan age. The numbers are just too unsustainable.

Today America is disappearing beneath 1.5 million acres of new urban sprawl each year. We did not just absorb 100 million environmentalists. Today there are 350 times as many corporate lobbyists in our government as 35 years ago --we did not just absorb 100 million political reformers. Today we have public education catastrophe --7 out of 10 American high school kids cannot read or do math at their own grade level --we did not just receive 100 million volunteer math and English tutors. Today we lead the world in fatherless households --we did not receive 100 million big brothers. Today America is the 4th leading contributor of greenhouse gasses in the world --and we did not just receive 100 million people who choose to commute by bicycle. Today, 25 million American children get up in the morning and search for something to eat because mom or dad are unemployed or underemployed --we did not just receive 100 million independently wealthy employers. Today every 17 seconds an American woman is raped --we did not just receive 100 million people who are actively interested in women's rights. since 1980 the population of the American prison system has quadrupled --and in the 100 million people who have just dashed into this nation you will find precious few crime preven5tion advocates. Today the fastest growing religion over even Christianity is Islam --and in the millions of people who have recently entered America illegally from the mid-east the will to defy their extremists cannot be found. During the same period that so many people have arrived so quickly and so excitedly the American Civil Rights Movement has crumbled into the dust.

We did not receive the worlds environmentalists, or social humanitarians or political reformers --we did receive those who deliberately abandoned them.

Just a few of the problems with the post 1970 population incursion into the US.

INS Reports that in the first nine months of 2007 682,000 were caught attempting to violate our southern border to trespass into our nation. When you think about how many of these acts of trespass into our nation actually were successful in that crime you have every right to want to rip the head off of every politician who has served in the past 30 years.

D. Hudson
Voice of The Revolution

She's not anti immigration, she's just asking for and end to the duality our government practices. I live in L.A. and everyone knows and loves our diverse population. Everyone here knows there are people who cant get proper jobs or drivers licenses, health and auto insurance, decent housing due to the fact that they have unlawful immigration status. If we're going to turn a blind eye to immigration status when it suits us perhaps we should afford them all the rights americans expect and enjoy rather then treating them like unwanted step children. Immigration amnesty for all, Ive experienced more terror from americans then I have from any immigrants.

Hey Liquidvideo,
You can't blame all those problems on Mexicans or their food. It's both a simplification of the problems and racist scapegoating. This is why this issue is so difficult to discuss and resolve. You touched on some good points about the direction immigration should take but change needs to constructive, not oppresive and discriminating. Remember that in this country we all (except Native Americans) came from immigrants.

The other side we tend to ignore in the immigration debate is what motivates a person to leave their own country and seek a better life in a strange, hostile place. Conditions in Latin America must be intolerable for most, because an elite ruling class keeps the majority in grinding poverty while preventing public works and social programs. If our neocons stay in power much longer, the USA will look like Mexico by 2025.

We're all immigrants in one way or another. Even the first people to come to this land way back when. We must have a more straightforward policy because what we have now is way too confusing. We send mixed messages and then victimize our immigrants. Border patrol is a joke. I support offering programs for those who have overstayed their visas. It happens and we need clear options. 1- you're a tax-paying worker, 2- you're being taken advantage of and we can help fix the situation, 3- you'd really rather go home but want to work here and make money ... perhaps there is a humane way to have a visiting worker program.... We need more compassion AND accountability in our policies. With the current administration and perhaps all the 2008 candidates (with exception probably of Kucinich) and throw in the present "air of terror", we will sadly only see more of the same.

Great topic and discussion you guys! The issues of immigration will continue to be a hot topic and there's no easy solution. Sadly, most people eat up the fear inducing views from the media and politicians without never really understanding how immigrants (both illegal and legal) contribute to this country. The sad reality is that since 9/11 illegal immigrants have been grouped together with terrorist and scapegoated for many problems of this country. Oh yes, this will continue to be a very hot topic.

In Arizona, we have large numbers of immigrants from south of the border, and most of them are here for the same reasons my caucasian ancestors came here: the opportunity to do better. I've never seen one undocumented immigrant who set out to destroy our way of life. How would they go about doing that anyhow? Could it be that, like Germany in the 1930s, we are being encouraged to focus our frustrations on a helpless minority instead of the plutocrats and theocrats who are trying to destroy the middle class and do it with our help? The 12,000,000 undocumented immigrants we have in this country have become a vital part of our economy, yet some of us are willing to break up families and wreck the economy just to satisfy all the bigots. Let's have a realistic, compassionate immigration policy.